A Lost Miracle
by debbieroe
Summary: Castle and Beckett are happy, married, and even expecting a baby. All is well until one walk in the park takes a turn for the worst.
1. Chapter 1

"Kate!" Castle screamed but only a faint sound was heard. _No, no, no this can't be happening,_ Castle thought to himself as he began crawling in a failed attempt to reach the SUV. The SUV that had his wife. The SUV that had his PREGNANT wife. He watched in horror as it pulled away and left his sight. Darkness began to creep over him and thoughts of failure flooded his mind. _What kind of husband is not able to protect his pregnant wife from this kind of harm?_ He had failed her and the defeat had already invaded his chest. He would get her back though. He would die before he let her suffer pain and agony and god forbid something happened to their child. He would never forgive himself. That life was too precious, as was Kate's.

* * *

4 HOURS EARLIER

"Castle. Castle!"

Castle ran like his life depended on it to their bedroom. Ever since they found out she was pregnant he had been extremely protective and fearful at almost every moment. Fear struck across his face until he saw the look on hers. She stood by their bed in just a plain black bra and matching black panties with her hands gripping her swollen belly. Castle was transfixed with her beauty in that moment. She was glowing and he was in absolute awe. The mother of his child could not be more beautiful.

"Castle!" His trance was broken. "The baby! It's…It's kicking!" This was the first time she had felt this small action from their little bundle within. "Quick! Come feel!"

He rushed over never willing to miss one moment of the miracle growing inside of her. Their faces suddenly showed the same joy and excitement as they shared this moment of love. Indeed, their little unborn miracle was definitely making its presence known.

"Wow." That was all Castle could come up with, suddenly speechless in that moment. Never in a million years would he have pictured this moment happening. Never did he think he would be so utterly in love that nothing else in the world mattered. Never did he think that he would have this strikingly stunning and strong woman as his wife, as his lover, as the mother of his child.

The moment was suddenly over when they both realized, they had an important appointment that they were now running late to. "Babe, get dressed so we aren't too late. We've waited so long for this and I'd hate to miss it now."

Kate glared at him. "Castle, don't 'babe' me. Don't think that just because I'm pregnant, you are allowed to slip that name by. And we're fine, perfectly on time."

Castle glanced down at his watch still unsure. Soon enough they would get there.

"This traffic is going to kill my patience." Castle was actually driving for once but in this traffic he wished he was in Beckett's charger with the light and sirens blaring. Honestly, he was unsure if that would even help.

"Relax, Babe. We will be there soon."

"Oh so you can 'babe' me but I can't 'babe' you?" He grinned over to her mischievously trying to prove his point.

Kate smirked at his comment. "I was just getting you back, but as I see that you probably enjoy it too much, I will have to come up with something much less manly for you, Kitten."

"Oh don't even go there. That is way worse than babe and you know it. Can't you just accept that I love you so much that I want to coddle you and call you sweet, sweet names?"

"Castle, if we put as much energy into picking a name for our baby as we do picking nicknames for each other we would be set for this baby as well as many others yet to come."

"There's no sense in trying to pick a name when we don't know if it's a boy or girl. That time could be spent doing more exciting activities." He moved one hand to her thigh while she let a small giggle out because she knows it's true. They love their sexy times with each other and would hate to give them up. He continued creeping his hand up her thigh, causing her to blush. He knew she liked it but he also knew that they can't do anything about it right now as they were about to arrive for their appointment.

"Castle, it's not nice to tease." She was giving him a shy yet seductive look. "Especially when you know how I've been lately with my pregnancy. I already wanna jump you and take you to bed all the time. Don't make it harder for me."

"Oh, believe me. I am not complaining. If I knew pregnancy was gonna turn you into such a sex goddess, I would have knocked you up much sooner," Castle stated matter-of-factly letting a sly grin show across his face.

She rolled her eyes at that but that usually just turns him on more.

They arrived at the office and checked in at the front desk. Many pregnant women were scattered around the waiting room in various stages of pregnancy. Some with men by their side and some without. Kate thought to herself how grateful she truly was to have this man by her side through this. She couldn't imagine doing this alone. Pregnancy would have been close to impossible if he weren't constantly there to fulfill her many needs. Labor would have been a nightmare without him. Raising his child with no father would just have been heartbreaking. She let out a sigh of relief as they sat down together. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now I hope you're ready to see our son or daughter."

"Believe me. I was ready before I even thought I was ready. And for the record it's going to be daughter. I can feel it." She really couldn't explain how she felt this but she knew without a doubt that they would be having a little girl.

"We'll see about that. Someday I would like to have another boy join the family. Too many females in my life already. We need a boy to even out the numbers a bit."

Kate smirked. "You don't usually complain about my presence. In fact most of the time you quite enjoy it."

"Trust me. I will never get sick of you and your wickedly hot body. I'm already looking forward to making baby #2, #3, and #4."

"Oh really? Well we will see about that after this little bundle comes." With that she placed her hand in his and led them to her stomach as the baby started kicking again.

The nurse called them back into the patient room. She took Kate's vitals and then welcomed the doctor who brought with her the ultrasound machine.

Kate looked up at Castle with a stunning smile on her face. Castle couldn't help but to smile back at his wife. They are only moments away from finding out what they are having. With Castle right by her side and their hands intertwined, they could not possibly feel any closer than this moment now.

"Well it looks like you two are more than ready for this." The doctor was smiling as she instructed Kate to lift her shirt. "This will be a little cold." Kate tensed a bit as the cold gel was spread across her blossoming belly. The doctor took a few minutes to find a good view of the baby causing Kate's nerves to heighten. The longer the doctor took, the more Kate's mind was jumping to horrible conclusions. Castle saw the fear start to spread across her face and squeezed her hands to reassure her.

After what seemed to them to be hours but was really only a few minutes, the doctor broke the silence. "Ok everything is looking normal so far. The baby looks to be developing properly and is just the right size for this stage of development. Let me see if I can get a good shot to determine the sex." She moved the scope more across Kate's belly pushing down harder than Kate would have liked.

The suspense was building quickly. Both Kate and Rick had been waiting for this moment since the day they found out they were expecting. Kate smiled as she looked over at Castle. Their hands were still together and his eyes were anxiously studying the screen trying to get a clue as to what they were having. Kate already felt the urge to cry and they hadn't even found out yet. She was just too overwhelmed with the joy of being Castle's wife and carrying his child. _How did she get so lucky?_

"Congratulations! You are having a baby girl!"

Immediately Kate started to let a few tears slide. Castle came forward and they're lips met for merely a few seconds. "You were right babe, it's a girl. God I love you Kate."

She was so emotional she couldn't help but to let that 'babe' slide. "Don't you know by now to always trust my instincts? I'm almost always right. And I love you too Rick." She laughed but still couldn't control the tears that kept falling. They were having a little girl. Together. They were in this together. He wiped her tears away with a slow brush of his hand cherishing this moment of happiness. Nothing could have made this moment more perfect.

* * *

"And what do you think you're doing?" Castle was staring questioningly at Kate as she slipped into a pair of leggings and a tight workout shirt that highly extenuated her growing belly.

"Going for a quick run…" He shot her a concerned look that told her right away that there was no way in hell he was going to allow that. He barely let her out of his sight, let alone do something as intense as running. He was convinced that running while pregnant couldn't possibly be safe. "Uhh fine, I mean a walk. I'm going for a walk." She groaned trying to make Castle feel bad about his strict protectiveness over her.

"Sure you are. Don't lie just to make me feel better." Even he couldn't deny how unbelievably sexy she looked in her tight fitting outfit that revealed every curve she had. As much as he's loved post-run sweaty Kate, he would not allow her to risk injury to herself or their baby girl. There would be plenty more times when he would experience post-run sweaty Kate. But for now, he would have to sacrifice.

"Well then join me...for my _walk."_ She knew Castle would feel more at ease if he joined her so he would know for a fact that she was just walking. Personally, she liked that Castle felt the need to protect her and their baby. Usually she would hate to be taken care of and seen as a fragile being, but she felt differently about it when she knew his child was inside her. They both knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but Castle stepping up was extremely sweet and comforting. Of course she would never admit that to him. His ego was big enough as it was and definitely did not need to be fed further.

He was lost in a daze, still thinking about all the times they've had sex right after she had returned home from a run covered in sweat. "Sorry, um what?"

"Walk, Castle. Let's go on a walk together. But first can you grab my shoes and help me get them on? I can't quite reach my feet anymore."

He smiled at that request, allowing it to truly sink in that she was indeed getting bigger. She was getting bigger because she was pregnant...with his child. After they had first found out, it took a while for her to start showing. Once her belly showed the first signs of swelling, it had seemed to never stop growing. Now she had reached the point of struggling to perform everyday tasks due to her size. Accepting help had never been one of her strengths but for the sake of their baby, she was trying.

She sat on the bed waiting patiently as he searched the closet for her shoes and boy did Kate have a lot of them. He went row by row scanning over the numerous pairs of high heels and boots before moving to dig through those scattered everywhere on the floor. No running shoes seemed to be anywhere.

"Kate, how do you find anything in here? There are heels everywhere and...Ahhh now these are sexy. Kate why have you never worn these before?" He came out with a brand new pair of shiny black leather boots with five-inch heels and some leather detail going up the sides. "These would look great with those black skinny jeans that hug your ass oh so nicely. Oh! And your gun holster around your thigh to bring the whole outfit together! Damn, you would knock the criminals dead with one look. Hell, you would knock me dead with one look."

"Castle, I'm pregnant. Does it look like I'm going to be strutting around in those boots anytime soon? And the last thing I need is more criminals hitting on me. I already have to deal with you and your wandering hands that seem to have a mind of their own. Besides, do you really want all those criminals to have the luxury of seeing me in their deepest, darkest fantasies? That luxury is reserved for you and only you. I am a one-writer girl, remember?" She couldn't help but give him a sexy smirk knowing very well that they had both been the subject of each other's fantasies for many years even before their intimate relationship had started.

He had never been able to control himself when she did that sexy _I know you can't resist me_ smirk. And right now was no exception as he stumbled over her shoes and leapt over to her on the bed. Crashing his lips onto hers, he laid her back. She gasped at the sudden moment but definitely wasn't complaining about the feelings that were now surmounting thanks to his skillful tongue. A moan escaped her lips as she opened for him to deepen the kiss further. Castle's hands reached beneath her shirt and across her lower back causing her hips to jerk upward into him. She could already feel his arousal growing against her as he nipped at her ear and kissed her lovingly behind it.

She was breathless but managed to speak. "Run…" was all she could get out before he silenced her with his mouth against hers.

"Walk," Castle replied as his body pushed hers further into the warmth and comfort of the mattress. "Later." He was now the one seductively smirking at her in hopes that sex might distract her from her insistence to go on a run. "Haven't found your shoes anyways." He moved his mouth down her neck leaving kisses on her soft glowing skin. Her skin burned with desire underneath his gentle touch. He knew her all too well and it showed in situations like this. All the secret places on her skin that made her gasp and squirm with desire when touched, he knew. That was one of the things she loved most about him; He always took the time to learn and observe so he could selflessly put her desires before his.

His hands grabbed at the hem of her shirt and she leaned forward some so he can remove it. Even in a sports bra, Castle could clearly see the effects of pregnancy on her breasts. They were already more plump and getting more so every day. Definitely no complaints were coming from him though. He loved everything about her changing body even when she didn't. Seeing their child grow inside her stomach day after day was magical and emotions swarmed him as he kissed her stomach like he did every night before falling asleep.

"Pants...off." She barely got the words out in between her rapid breathing. Castle began to unzip his pants as she removed her bra. Still stepping out of his pants, he once again started planting kisses on her neck. He stopped at her breasts and couldn't help but to stare in awe of what lay before him.

"Kate, you are so beautiful." He took one breast into his mouth lavishing her with his tongue. He was sure to be gentle in light of her pregnancy, knowing that they had been extra tender lately. Her moans turned him on even more as he continued on to the other to provide the same gentle treatment.

"God, Castle. Don't stop." Pregnancy had heightened her senses and right now they were shooting bursts of pleasure in every part of her body. She could feel her wetness soaking through her panties and her patience was suddenly wearing thin. If this walk did happen she would definitely need a new pair of leggings for it.

Castle was on top of her with just his boxers on and she needed her leggings off now. She started reaching for them but Castle, sensing her struggle with getting them off from her laying down position, took actions into his own hands.

As he stared into her dark and seductive eyes, he slowly peeled her leggings down her endless, slender legs leaving her in nothing but her cream colored panties. He moaned in appreciation as he saw her wetness seeping through. Without any more hesitation he removed her final piece of clothing. Crawling above her, he helped as she moved further up the bed so her legs were no longer hanging off.

"I want you now Castle!" She had never been one to take things slow in the bedroom. But being in bed with the world's most selfless lover meant that her plans were usually ignored. He spread her wide, allowing him to see her fully and glistening before him. Not wasting another second, he dove down covering her with his tongue. Her back arched in surprise and he had to brace her hips with his hands to keep her still.

"Fuuuuck, Castle." She couldn't stop herself from moaning his name over and over with a few expletives mixed in as well. He was truly a man of many talents, and what he did with his tongue was one of them. It should almost be a crime that he had this much talent in his tongue, his hands, his fingers...she could writhe under his touch screaming his name all day. If only that was an option.

He circled her with his tongue and gently bit down on her while she moaned in pleasure. Suddenly two fingers thrust inside her and she screamed in delight. He pumped them slowly as he continued to lavish her with his tongue.

"Cas-stle I'm so close." Pleasure was riding through her entire body reaching every nerve her body had as she prepared for her impending orgasm. With that he suddenly stopped. She whimpered at the sudden loss of contact. "What the f…" She was cut off as he flipped her over so she was now on top of him. Before she could even register the movement, he was lifting her up above him and bringing her down to envelope his manhood. She gasped as he fills her entirely and hit her in just the right spot.

They moved together in unison as they made love.

"Kate, I'm not gonna last long." His breath hitched.

"Well thanks to you, I'm all worked up and ready to go." With that she lifted off of him entirely and crashed back down forcing him to pound into her deeply. Her walls were trembling and she was thrown into pure bliss as her body racked with waves of pleasure. Castle felt her walls closing in on his length and he soon followed her over the edge. Kate could feel him spill into her as she was still recovering from her intense orgasm that was still giving her extreme pleasure.

She gently lifted off of him and fell beside him on the bed. The scent of sex filled the air and evidence of their encounter could be seen in their heavily disheveled appearances.

"So you ready for that walk?"

 _Of course she didn't forget,_ Castle thought to himself.

* * *

"Come on Castle, keep up!" Kate was a few yards ahead of Castle as she swiftly power walked.

Castle started jogging to catch up to her. "You didn't say you were going to walk like the world is going to end!"

"Stop complaining. We both need the exercise and I'm not even running."

"Yeah but you're like half a step down from running."

"I can always start running you know. Then you'll really get behind."

"Oh I can keep up with my pregnant wife all right."

"You sure about that? Weren't you just behind when I was only walking?" Kate didn't leave time for Castle to answer and instead dashed ahead sprinting. She looked back as Castle started to follow her but even pregnant, his speed was no match to hers.

Castle watched as his pregnant wife took off around the corner no longer in his field of vision. He was already feeling a cramp in his leg since it has been awhile since he had tried a full on sprint. Trying his best to catch up again, he chose to ignore the cramp. He was not happy about her sprinting while 24 weeks along and even more unhappy that he could no longer see her.

His heart suddenly stopped as a blood-curling scream of his name was shouted breaking the beautiful late-afternoon ambience. The park was mostly empty on this dreary, overcast day. Not a person was in sight as Castle took off sprinting even faster like his life, or more importantly Kate's life, depended on it.

Finally, he saw her. But she was on the ground. Alone. Not Moving.

"KATE! KATE!" He knelt beside her immediately checking her pulse. Relief came across his face as he located a pulse and saw that she was breathing. He thought for a second, _what the hell is going on_. Kate was unconscious but didn't appear to be injured.

Contemplating the situation was no longer an option as Castle felt a sting in his neck. A syringe had injected him with some unknown liquid and its effects were already taking over his body. He collapsed from his knees to his back and eyed two dark figures above him.

"Kaaate." He attempted to speak but it was so quiet he was unsure if any sound even escaped his lips. He felt blackness trying to overcome him but garnered all the strength in his body to fight it off. He had to fight it for Kate. Looking over to her, he heard them mumble a few words as they began to drag her away towards a dark SUV.

"Nooo, Kate!" Again he was unsure if he was even producing a sound. The dark figures were getting farther away dragging Kate closer and closer to the SUV. Castle knew that now was not the time to give in to his sagging eyelids and numb body. He managed to turn onto his stomach and crawl a few steps in their direction. Sadness filled his eyes when he saw her unconscious body being placed into the back. He was too late.

They shut the doors and started the car. He had only managed to move a few yards closer but he would never give up.

"KATE! No, don't go! Damn it Kate come back!" He was sure sound came out on that one as he caught the attention of a nearby runner who was now running in his direction.

Castle tried to speak again but nothing was clear in between his worst fears flooding his mind and the disabling effects of the drug so he just pointed in the direction of the parking lot where the SUV once was. He shuffled his hand into his pockets to try and get his phone out. Weakness was taking its toll on him and the darkness had almost overpowered him completely. Before it did, he dropped the phone in the runner's direction and spoke a very faint, "Esposito" before succumbing to the darkness.

* * *

a/n: This my first fic so I am just testing the waters here. This will be a multi-chapter fic and chapter 2 is in the works. Review please! I would love to know what you liked and what you disliked. Wouldn't be opposed to hearing a few ideas thrown out there as well. Thanks and hope you enjoyed it.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and follows/favorites! I hope you all are enjoying this story and will continue to bear with me as we travel this journey together. Also, big thanks to Kendra to agreeing to be my beta. You are and will continue to be a big help.

* * *

"Hey, it's Espo." Esposito answered his phone like he would any time it rang with Castle's name on it.

"Um...I take it you're Esposito then?" The stranger was not really sure how to go about this phone call. A man was unconscious on the ground in front of him. He scanned the park in every direction keeping a watchful eye for anything. Though the park seemed empty now, he couldn't shake the possibility that more danger may come at any moment.

"Yeah. Detective Esposito. Who the hell is this? Is Castle with you?"

 _Ah, so that's Castle_ , the runner thought glancing down. There was no movement from the man, he was barely breathing.

"My name is Mark. But you need to get down to Central Park now, Southwest corner near the parking lot. I assume this Castle you mention is the man who is unconscious but he managed to tell me to call you before he went under."

"Whoa hold up, what do you mean unconscious? What the hell is going on?" Esposito interrupted the man with his voice filling with panic.

"I think he was maybe drugged. He was on the ground shouting for someone when I ran to him."

"Shouting for who? What was he shouting?" Esposito's mind was already filling with worst-case scenarios. Definitely a hazard of the job. He grabbed his keys and started scanning the bullpen to find Ryan. They needed to go NOW. Something was very very wrong.

"Damn, what was it. It's was a woman's name, that much I remember."

"Alexis? Kate? Martha?" Esposito wasn't sure he even wanted to know the answer.

"Kate! Yeah it was Kate. I think somebody took her and drugged Castle in the process."

Still on the phone with Mark, Esposito spotted Ryan in the break room. He peeked into the room to get his attention. "Ryan it's Castle and Beckett. Something has happened and we have to go now." Ryan heard the panic in his voice and immediately set down his coffee to follow Esposito out.

Fear now present in both of their eyes, they sped their way through the New York traffic as best as they could. Ryan was now the one keeping Mark on the line as Esposito swerved back and forth passing every car in sight. "Have you called an ambulance yet?" Ryan was certainly worried about the well-being of Castle and hoped that there would be no lasting effects from whatever knocked him out.

"Yeah, called them first. They should be here soon. I've been watching his breathing and it seems shallow but pretty steady."

"Ok. Good. We're just about there. Do not leave Castle alone. And we will need to take your statement when we get there."

Lights and sirens blaring, they managed to be the first on the scene where they saw an unconscious Castle on the ground and a shaken up man who looked like he had just seen a ghost. At first glance, nothing seemed suspicious. No blood, no other bystanders, no obvious evidence, no signs of unusual behavior. Besides Castle knocked out on the ground, no one would have thought a crime had just been committed.

They ran towards Castle knowing that his well-being was their first priority regardless of what the protocol may be. Seconds later, the ambulance, accompanied by other police officers, rushed into the nearby parking lot. Police officers began to secure the scene as the EMTs made their way towards Castle.

"According to a witness, he lost consciousness slowly and most likely due to some sort of drug. He has been out approximately 40 minutes and we found a possible injection point here on his neck." Espo points to the large red spot on Castle's neck while giving the EMTs what little information he has.

They quickly got him on the stretcher and made their way to the ambulance. Ryan decided to ride with Castle to the hospital in hopes of being there when he woke up, while Espo went to take an official statement from the witness.

"So let me get this straight, you were running nearby when you heard Castle yelling incessantly for Kate? Then you rounded the corner to see him on the ground crawling in the direction of the lot?" Esposito was hesitant to trust this stranger even though he managed to call him here. Being a homicide detective always made you suspicious of everyone until evidence proved otherwise.

"Uhh yeah. His shouting caught my attention but when I got to him he was hardly conscious. Just enough for him to pull out his phone, drop it on front of me, and whisper your name. That's when I called 911 real quick and then you."

"Is there anything else you remember? Did you see any vehicles in the lot?" Esposito questioned, pressingly. He wanted to make sure that he got every detail out of the witness.

"Actually, it was surprisingly empty for this time of day, but there was one dark SUV that was just pulling away." Mark commented looking towards the parking lot as if trying to remember.

"Did you get a color, plate, or make and model?" Esposito was pressing these questions in hopes that there will at least be a trail to start looking for his missing friend. He kept telling himself that he was doing this because he was doing his job. The mantra, 'no personal interference' repeated in his head.

Mark closed his eyes trying to think back to just the previous hour. "I'm pretty sure it was an SUV. Definitely a dark color, most likely black. But I didn't see any of the plate." He could see the disappointment that came across the detective's face at his vague description of what happened. "I'm sorry Detective. It was speeding away when I saw it so I merely got a glimpse."

Esposito saw that he was telling the truth, in his eyes. He looked as if he was truly trying to be helpful and Espo tried his best not to be angry about how little he saw. "It you remember anything else, anything at all, call me right away. Here's my card." Espo handed him his card and went to find the officer in charge of securing the scene only to find out that they haven't found any evidence. None at all to provide any clues as to what happened to Castle or who took Kate. _What the hell is going on here?_

* * *

Castle's eyes felt heavy as they attempted to open letting the light seep inside. He struggled to fight against the darkness and immense fatigue that were forcing his eyes to remain shut. His body felt sore in many places; a reminder of what happened. There was still a burning sensation on his neck where he was injected with something. He could hear machines beeping and voice speaking faintly. Despite his body telling him not to, he managed to open his eyes to see Ryan pacing back and forth while speaking on the phone.

"Ryan," he whispered in an attempt to get his attention.

Ryan could barely hear him but saw that he had woken up. "Espo, he's waking up. You should get down here." He hung up and turned to the door in pursuit to find the doctor.

"Wait! Where's Kate? Did you guys find Kate?" Castle throat was raw from all the yelling he had done making his voice extremely weak.

"Castle, let me just find the doctor for you." He turned again to leave out the door.

"No! Don't avoid the question! Where the hell is my wife?" Castle did not appreciate being shut out. "I was there, Ryan, I was there when they stole her from me, when they stole my unborn child from me. Now answer the goddamn question!" Castle felt panic rising and couldn't help but feel anger towards Ryan. He knew that he was being unfair with his friend...but still.

Ryan couldn't hide the sadness on his face and knows he couldn't lie to Castle nor avoid the question any longer. "We haven't found her yet."

"No, no, no." Tears streamed down his pale cheeks and dripped onto his hospital gown. The light and pale tan of the hospital room swam in front of his eyes, closing him in. Anger was building in his chest and he had to blame someone, even if it was himself. "I failed her. I'm her husband and I couldn't even protect my wife. God, Ryan, we've got to find her." Castle struggled against all the cords that were connecting him to machines in an attempt to get out of the hospital bed. Adrenaline made his heart beat quickly and, through the roaring panic in his brain, he could hear the fast pinging from one of those pulse machines.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Castle stop. You're not going anywhere." Ryan gently nudged his shoulder to help him lie back down on the bed but Castle just pushed him back with all the strength he could channel in that moment.

"Don't tell me what to do. My pregnant wife is missing and I need to find her right now before something happens to her or our baby. And what the hell are you babysitting me for? Get your ass out there and actually to some work for once." Castle spit these words back at Ryan with rage.

"Castle, you're no good to her like this." Ryan was trying his best to calm Castle down and to not take his words personally. Tensions were high and he could never imagine what Castle was feeling right now with his pregnant wife missing. "You need to stay here at least until the doctor comes back. If you want to find Kate, you need to be healthy. She wouldn't want you to risk hurting yourself further for her."

Castle groaned but knew he was right. Kate would kill him if she knew he was risking his life for her. The doctor must have sensed his disdain as he came inside right when Castle wanted him too.

"Good to see you're awake Mr. Castle. I'm Doctor Muldoon. It seems that you were injected with a drug combination of both a sedative and a paralytic. Both were in small enough doses that the effects should be almost completely gone. Besides a few scrapes and bruises from the ground, tomorrow you should walk out of here completely healthy."

"Tomorrow?" Castle was shouting at the doctor. "I am ready to go NOW."

"Castle, there's no point on you fighting the doctor. It's not like Gates is going to let you come to the precinct just yet. You know how she is. Plus the drugs are still wearing off." Ryan tried to be the voice of reason. "You will be discharged tomorrow and Gates will see that you followed orders like you're supposed to." Now he was going for a change in subject. "At least let me take your statement so we can have more to go on. We need all the help we can get right now."

Castle knew that must mean that they were working with close to nothing to go on. Well that's reassuring, Castle grumbled inside his own head.

Espo walked into the room, with the same hard grief-stricken face that Castle had, as the Doctor left to give them privacy. "Good to see you're ok Bro." Castle barely nodded in response to his concern.

"So where are we at with Kate?" Castle knew that they could not possibly have much to go on but he needed something to believe in right now. He needed something that would help him hold on to the hope of his wife and unborn child returning to him soon.

"We talked to that witness at the scene who you gave your phone to. He didn't see much. Only a dark SUV speeding away," clarified Espo with an intense look on his face.

"Pen," Castle mumbled barely audible.

"What?" Both Ryan and Espo spoke at the same time.

"Pen," Castle repeated with a slight hint of excitement. "P3N. It was the first part of the license plate on the SUV that drove away. I remember because it reminded me of the word 'pen'."

Ryan put that down in his notepad. "You want to give your official statement now then?"

Emotions started to flood from Castle as he struggled to hold back more tears before he could even begin to speak. The event was too fresh in his mind that all those feelings were now hitting him at full force unable to be suppressed. "Kate and I were walking through the park together since I was being overprotective as usual and refused to let her run. She was making fun of me for not being about to keep up with her even walking. When I did catch up, she took off at a sprint. I remember seeing her go around the corner of trees then only seconds later did I hear her scream my name. Obviously, I took off running to get to her. When I rounded the corner, I saw her unconscious on the ground. As I approached her, I saw no one else. I managed to check her pulse but then was injected with something in my neck. They must have snuck up behind me."

Ryan interrupted, "Do you remember how many people were there at all?"

"I know I saw at least two but there might have been another waiting in the SUV. The drugs took over my body within seconds and I was already falling to the ground. They started to drag her to a black SUV and I tried my best to crawl my way to her." His sobs were slurring his words. "I'm sorry guys, I let her get away."

"Bro, it is not your fault this happened. This was definitely planned so the odds were against you." Espo's words had no effect on Castle.

He managed to withhold his tears to finish. "Then I saw my last glimpse of her, my last glimpse of our baby. They put her in the SUV and drove away. I screamed her name over and over but it was no use. She was already gone."

"And is that when the witness came over?" Ryan was attempting to keep Castle focused.

Castle tried to think back and get into the exact moment of when it happened. He closed his eyes to remember. "Yeah I screamed her name one last time as they pulled away and he must have heard me. I was still trying to crawl on the ground but whatever they gave me was already shutting my body down."

"So when the witness came over, what happened next?"

"I remember I was trying to get my phone out of my pocket so I could call you but I was going under too fast so I sort of threw it at him and managed to say Esposito's name before falling completely unconscious. Then I woke up and I was here."

"Do you remember what the kidnappers looked like? Anything in particular?"

"Umm, it all went so quick." Defeated, he looked down at his hands knowing that he had failed his wife again; first from when it happened and now again from his poor recollection of what happened. Kate was gone and he was entirely to blame.

Ryan tried his best to reassure him. "Castle, you are not to blame for this. Kate would not want you to put this all on yourself."

Espo interrupted, "Seriously bro, we need you to try to not take the blame so you can have a clear mind of what happened. Somewhere in your mind, you may know more about what happened, but you're clouded with emotions. I know I can't tell you to stop feeling for your wife but we need you to try real to let go of some emotions for just five minutes so we can get any lead as to where she may be. Can you do that for us?"

Castle was furious that Espo would suggest that he is even capable of such a thing, but he also knew that Espo is right. They would get better leads if he could clear his head some and remember more details. "I can try but you know how I feel about her. She's my wife for god's sake and she's carrying my daughter!"

"We know. We both love her as our own sister and we will never stop looking for her until we find her and your daughter…" Espo cut himself off and looked at Ryan. "Wait, daughter? You know you're having a girl?"

"Grab me my belongings and I'll show you." Castle's face seemed to have lightened up just slightly.

Ryan grabbed the plastic bag holding everything that was on him when he was found. "Your clothes and shoes were taken as evidence to the lab but your wallet and keys are here." He handed the small bag to him and Castle relieved to see everything was in his wallet still.

Castle pulled out a small picture and gave it to Ryan. "We just found out this morning. We're having a baby girl." Castle's mind recalled the wondrous moment they had just shared earlier when they heard those words.

Ryan and Espo stared in awe at the tiny being pictured in the ultrasound photo. "Wow, congrats Castle," Ryan broke the silence.

"We will find them. Both of them will come home sound and safe. I would die before I let anything happen to her or your baby." Espo's voice was more stern than usual but Castle knew that he has the best two detective's working to find them.

"Actually, while we're all here, I wanted to ask you both something. Well actually Kate was going to talk to you both but under the circumstances, I think she would want you to know now." Castle took a deep breath and continued, "We would like both of you to be godfathers to our baby girl and of course Lanie and Jenny will be godmothers. We could never decide between the two of you so we thought 'what the hell, they can be co-godfathers'."

Castle was suddenly struck with the realization that they might never get to fulfill those duties. He might never even get to fulfill his duties as this child's father. "Well, at least we did want you to be her godparents."

"Hey don't talk like that. We will find them and spoil that little girl rotten. She will have the best damn godparents around. There is no way in hell we're going to let you let us off the hook just yet." Espo smiled trying to lighten the mood and it seemed to work for now.

Ryan nodded in agreement as he handed Castle the picture back. "She's going to be beautiful."

Castle stared at his daughter and tried to bring back the happiness that he felt just hours ago when he was listening to her heartbeat with Kate. When he was holding her hand and kissing her after they found out they were having a girl.

Castle closed his eyes and thought back about everything that had just occurred. Suddenly, it came to him.

"Tahoe. It was a black Tahoe." Castle's face lit with joy from his revelation.

"Are you sure?" Ryan was hesitant as he had a habit to always be.

"Yes, positive. I work with you guys almost every day. I know to internalize as much information as possible in situations like these. It was a black SUV. Definitely a Tahoe. I remember seeing the name on the back."

"Ok so black Tahoe, license plate starting with P3N. That's at least a start. Anything else about the car?" Ryan wanted to be sure he got everything.

"I think there was a dent in the bumper. Driver's side. I can't say for sure, but that's what it looked like from where I was at. Maybe they were in an accident recently?"

"I'll go to the precinct and put a BOLO out on the vehicle. I'll start going over traffic cams around the area and hopefully see where they came from and where they went. Let me know if you remember anything else about it." Espo turned for the door and left ready to catch the son of a bitch who was holding his best friend hostage.

"Ok Castle, that's real good, now do you remember anything specific about the people you saw?"

"They were both white males and were dressed in black. Well, at least the two that I saw were. But they didn't have masks on or anything." Castle thought further, "It's like they were taunting me. I saw their faces but they still didn't kill me. They wanted me to see that they were taking Kate. They could've easily just made her appear to vanish but they chose to let me watch instead." Castle wrinkled his face in disgust. "This is a game to them."

"Castle, you can't know for sure what their motivation is."

"Ryan, you didn't see their faces. They were young and smug as hell. They were toying with me. Why do you think they didn't just knock me out? They wanted me to see her slip right through my grasp."

"Ok, sorry. I'm sorry. I wasn't there so I shouldn't discount anything. Is there anything else you remember about them?"

"Their voices, they spoke English. No accents or anything so they can't be foreign. I couldn't hear well enough to hear what they were saying though."

"Ok, that's good Castle. Anything else?"

"One of the men, he was limping as he dragged Kate. Maybe Kate fought back some before they knocked her out."

"That makes sense. There has to be someone behind this that has some personal connection to either you or Kate. Unfortunately, that doesn't narrow down the list very much. Did you notice anything strange about Kate the past few days?"

"Strange? Dude, she's pregnant. Everything seems strange nowadays. But no I haven't seen random strangers following us or noticed anything different in her behavior besides the usually pregnancy stuff. You think someone's been following us?"

"It just seems like this was most definitely planned. So chances are someone's been doing surveillance on you recently."

Castle felt sick knowing that someone had probably been following them, watching them, stalking them. "Oh god, they've probably been watching Alexis too."

"Don't worry, once they return from their trip, we will send an officer to watch over them. Speaking of them, we still haven't gotten a hold of them."

Castle sighed in defeat. He was alone. Kate had been kidnapped and his mother and daughter were unreachable as they savored in their unknowing bliss.

"Well if it's alright with you I really need to get down to the precinct. You going to be ok on your own for a little while?" Ryan regretted having to leave him alone but knew that Kate needed him looking for her in every way possible.

"Yeah, yeah, go. Don't worry about me. I'll call if I remember anything else."

Ryan walked out the door and Castle finally closed his eyes in hopes that he would wake to a better day. A day where Kate and his baby were safe in his arms.

* * *

Castle stumbled into the loft the next day after being kicked out of the precinct by Gates. She threatened to lock him up if he didn't go home to rest for at least a few hours before returning.

She wanted him to be fully recovered and clear of mind before he made any stupid mistakes to cost them Beckett's life. His groggy self was not coherent enough to be useful in their investigation.

"A few hours," he reminded himself aloud.

He was still completely exhausted from yesterday's events and his sleepless night. Feelings of selfishness kept him from getting the sleep he truly needed. He couldn't possibly fathom the idea of sleeping when Kate was out there possibly hurt, possibly worse. Horrifying images kept flashing in his mind of all the possible places Kate could be. Sleep was the furthest thing on his mind. And now his face wore his sleepless night. His eyes were bloodshot from the tears he shed for her and dark circles lay beneath them.

He looked around feeling the emptiness his loft without Kate was producing. He could see her everywhere in the loft, yet at the same time, nowhere. Her personality had exploded life into every room of the loft and suddenly he was overwhelmed by the vacant, Kate-less loft. His wife was gone. His child within her was gone. He yearned to feel her. Yearned to wrap his arms around her and never let go. Yearned to feel their baby girl kick, a product of their undying love for each other.

Yet. Nothing.

Emptiness was what greeted him instead.

He wandered into his bedroom. THEIR bedroom. He couldn't help but to look at the framed picture he had on his bed stand of her showing off her growing belly. He had just taken this picture last week when they went out for ice cream. She looked so happy, so serene, holding her hands around her stomach already protecting the child within.

Grabbing the picture, he flopped onto their bed not even taking the time to remove his shoes. Tears streamed down his face as he held the picture close. He couldn't imagine never seeing her again, never seeing their baby.

"Kate," he spoke to himself, "I will find you. I promise you Kate. I will always find you."

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter was so dialog heavy. There was a lot of information that needed to be spoken. Don't worry, we will see Kate in the next chapter. Review, review, review! Feel free to share your ideas/opinions/critiques. Reviews motivate me to write faster!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: For the next undetermined amount of chapters it will rotate between Castle's POV and Beckett's POV. This one is a Beckett chapter and it's shorter than the previous ones but it just fit to end it where I did. Enjoy!

Kate's eyes blinked open slowly. Her vision was blurry at first but when everything came into view, she was shocked to notice that instead of seeing the surroundings of Castle's bedroom, she saw one that was unfamiliar to her. White walls surrounded her, but not the usual white walls. They were spotless. Too spotless. The room was bright. Much too bright. A light in the ceiling illuminated the white walls even further making the room feel more like an operating room and less like a bedroom. She sat up and noticed that she had been sleeping in a small twin bed with bedding that looked as though she was a visitor at her grandparents. The fact that the blankets were over her made her nervous. _Did someone tuck her into bed?_ That thought thoroughly freaked her out. She was relieved to see that her clothes were still on her as she lifted the blankets. But even more relieved when she saw that her bump was still there. Her baby. Their baby. She was safe inside where she belonged.

She gave her belly a tight squeeze, hoping to get a rise out of her baby. "Come on baby, move for me." She moved her hands around her stomach pushing lightly in different spots. "Please baby, move for me, move for your Mama." She knew it was much too early to worry but she usually would move at least slightly when provoked a bit. "Ok, baby, it's alright. You can move when you want to move. I'll try my best to be patient."

 _What the hell happened? How did I end up here?_

She tried to think back to the last thing she could remember but was thoroughly struggling to do so. A slight smile spread across her face when she remembered their appointment. She remembered the joy that they shared in that moment when they learn they were having a girl. It was such a precious moment that now had to share a day with whatever happened to her and Castle. Did they have him too? She didn't want to think about the very likelihood that Castle was probably imprisoned somewhere down the hall from her.

"The park." She was speaking aloud trying to make sense of things. "I was walking and then running and then what?" She couldn't recall anything other than racing ahead of Castle. It went blank after that. She tried again and again to remember but nothing worked. They must have knocked her out with something. She didn't feel any tenderness from a blow to the head or any other sore spots from falling to the ground. On her arm she did notice a small bruise on the inside of her elbow as if she had blood drawn. That was definitely new. Feeling herself, she also noticed a sore bump on her neck. Confusion spend across her. She didn't remember seeing anyone strange or anything suspicious at the park. Even in the past few days, she couldn't come up with anything that would raise any red flags.

"Drugs!" She spoke aloud. Feeling the bump on her neck, she remembered getting an injection of something. Then. Darkness. Everything was black after that. The thrill of starting to remember quickly wore off when she remembered she was pregnant and any drugs they used on her could not have been good for her sweet baby girl. Wrapping her arms around her stomach she thought back to Castle. Wishing they were together again with his arms wrapped protectively around her and their daughter overwhelmed her with sadness. This was not what she needed to be worrying about while pregnant. Her hormones were already in haywire and now she had to deal with this stressful situation if she expected to get herself and her baby out alive.

Trying to get her mind focused on something else, she got out of bed to continue her survey of the room. It was very small but big enough to fit the twin bed and a small table beside it. On the table, she noticed, was a small plate with a banana, two slices of bread, and a granola bar. Beside the plate was a notepad. On the first page was written, "Eat up. You don't want to deprive your baby of the nutrients she needs."

 _She?_ Her face was stunned at the realization that they knew what she had just learned the previous day. Though she never noticed anyone, she suspected they had to have been following her but now that suspicion was confirmed. Somehow they knew they were having a girl. Her eyes flared with anger. _Why was someone doing this to them?_

Glancing beside the notepad was a small plastic cup containing a large pill that looked similar to her prenatal ones but she couldn't be sure. She definitely wouldn't risk trying it to find out. She wasn't really sure about the food either. Her cop instincts were telling her to not even touch it but her mother instincts were telling her that her baby did indeed need food to stay alive.

She again looked around the room. All the walls were perfect white, including the door. No windows. There was an open doorway leading to what, she assumed, to be a functioning bathroom. There was a toilet that looked surprisingly pristine as well as a stand-alone sink with one brand new bar of soap. No mirror, no shower, no filth even. She was surprised to see that everything truly looked brand new. It was as if no one had ever stepped foot in the room besides her.

She felt eerie that everything was so clean and pristine.

 _Where the hell was she?_

Again, she walked around every inch of the small, quaint room. This time she was looking for anything that would aid to her escape. Anything at all that could be useful. To her dismay, there was nothing at all. The furniture was metal. She couldn't find any screws on either the bed frame or the bedside table and both were somehow bolted to the floor. The light was up in the ceiling and protected by a sheet of most likely some heavy duty plastic. She wasn't exactly in a position to jump to discover if it was breakable.

She went back into the bathroom but again found nothing. Just the toilet and the sink with a bar of soap. There wasn't even a light. The bathroom got all the light it needed from the bedroom which was plenty considering it was just a wide open doorway with no door leading into it.

"Well, I suppose I can count my blessings and be thankful they didn't leave me in an old warehouse to catch tetanus or some else horrible. See, baby, maybe they like us after all?" She went over to sit on the bed. Her arms were wrapped around her belly like she was prepared for an impending threat. "This may be a sign that they want us around for a while. That'll at least give me time to think of something. Don't worry, baby, I'll keep you safe. I love you baby girl."

Her stomach growled and she knew her baby needed something to eat. Out of the three options, she figured her safest bet would be the granola bar. She opened it slowly and examined it closely for anything suspicious. Deciding it was most likely ok, she took a bite and thoroughly enjoyed having something to eat finally. Water was the next thing that came to her mind. She dumped the pill out of the cup and took it to the bathroom to get water. Sitting back on the bed she drank it slow hoping it was ok it drink. She knew it was risky but the alternative was to let her baby suffer.

As soon as she finished she went over to the door. It was a long shot but maybe, just maybe, someone would answer. There was no handle to the door from inside the room, not that she had anything to pick a lock with anyways.

She banged on the door loudly, kicking and punching it to produce as much sound as possible. She yelled loudly, "Who are you? Let me out! Open this damn door now!" She continued yelling starting to get frantic, "Castle, please, someone. Help me, please! What do you want? Answer me!" Eventually she stopped when her voice failed her and her hands became sore. Not even a sound was heard coming from the hallway. No one was coming. She didn't hear any movement or talking. Nothing. Just her own frantic breaths disrupting the silence.

She turned around with her back now leaning against the door. Sliding down slowly, she collapsed to the ground in tears. Again, she wrapped her arms around her stomach, already a habit from being pregnant. Loud sobs escaped her as her body shook from the incessant cries. Control was one thing she had always had in her life and now that was gone. That idea alone made her shudder in fear. She needed control to maintain her stability. She needed control to feel safe, to feel alive, and to feel strong. Now it was gone. She had no control over the situation and no control over the safety of her baby.

Eventually, her eyes tired out from her sobbing. She maneuvered from the floor to the bed. Not even putting enough effort into pulling back the blankets, she laid her head down as her tears continued to fall. Her body still shook even as her tears dried up and her eyes failed to produce any more. Sleep finally claimed her as she pure exhaustion took over. Her mind tried its best to ward off the darkness but the rest of her body won the battle as her eyes slowly fell closed.

 _Maybe, this is a dream and I will wake to Castle beside me, holding me, holding us._

If. Only.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this short but definitely not sweet chapter. Unfortunately for you, but fortunately for me, I will be on vacation for a while so the next chapter might take a little while to get posted. Maybe some reviews will motivate me to write some while on vacation.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: My vacation was very relaxing and now I am finally updating. Thank you for your patience!

* * *

"Castle, you're back!" Ryan announced his entrance as Castle stepped off the elevator into all the action buzzing around the precinct just a few hours after being kicked out by Gates.

"Managed to nap just like Gates wanted me too, but now I'm feeling much better and ready to bring my wife and baby home. Where are we at?"

Ryan and Esposito gave each other a defeated look and Castle immediately noticed.

Espo began, "Well we got a hit on the SUV from the description you gave and the license plate. Turns out it was stolen a couple days ago from guy who owns a glass store in Soho. He claims to know nothing about a dent in the bumper so that must have happened after it was stolen. We've been combing through accident reports to see if any car descriptions match but I doubt it would have gotten reported."

"What about street cameras. Did you see where it came from or where they took Kate?" Castle was desperate to get a better lead. Something that would get them to Kate faster. Something. Anything.

"We looked through the cameras that were nearby and managed to follow the SUV a while but lost it once it got on 87 heading North." Espo knew Castle was not going to like that news.

Castle's hands rose to his face in distress. He covered himself as he took a few breaths to keep from letting his anger explode on one of his friends. He needed to calm down and remember that Kate was their friend too. She may be his wife, but he was not the only one who cared deeply about her. They were all partners and together they could find her.

Bringing his hands back down to his sides, he already felt slightly more calm. He walked slowly to the murder board to see any other progress they might have made. Air suddenly escaped from his lungs when he saw her picture at the center. Never did he expect to see her at the center of the murder like the many helpless victims they try to get justice for day after day. Turning away, he went to her desk wanting with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength to see his badass detective doing her detective duties in her detective chair. Unfortunately, that was not the case. He sat beside her desk in his own chair, his chair that had been there for over 6 years, not wanting to disturb her desk that she would soon return too.

"God Epso, how are we going to find her? We have practically nothing to go on." Castle pleaded with him.

"Actually, there's something we needed to talk to you about."

Castle didn't like where this could be going but he would do anything to find Kate. He would move Heaven and Earth for her if he had to.

"We need to search the loft, see if there's anything there that could help us. And we'd like to do that as soon as possible." Espo was hesitant to hear how Castle would react especially in the fragile emotional state he was already in.

"Um...I guess, but why? What are you expecting to find there?" Suddenly, it hit Castle, "Wait, you don't think I'm involved in this, do you? You think that I would risk hurting Kate or my baby? Are you crazy?" Castle started walking towards Esposito with such anger in his eyes that Espo actually thought in that moment that he was about to get punched by the best selling author.

Esposito backed up throwing his hands in the air towards Castle, "Whoa, whoa, Castle relax. We would never think that. We know how much you love her and we both trust you with our lives and with Kate's life. No, we just want to check for anything suspicious Kate might have left there if she was possibly snooping into something she shouldn't have. Stuff like that.

Ryan jumped in hoping to reassure him, "Castle, we know you have our backs and we will always have yours. We will try to be quick, get in and out today."

Castle thought about it realizing that he needed to let them do their jobs. They were working their asses off to find Kate and he was unleashing his anger and frustrations on them every second they asked him a damn question. "Yeah, of course. Sorry. I just...I don't know how to handle this. I don't know how to live without her."

Esposito, surprisingly showing compassion, went over and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. This was a new side to Esposito. Usually, he was the first to yell that they needed to toughen up and not get so emotionally attached. He was always the hardcore strength of the team refusing to let emotional get the better of his but now he was comforting Castle in his time of need. "We'll find her bro, we will. Now let's get a team over to the loft as quickly as possible. You can come with us but you have to promise to not get in the way. We might find something that you don't like but you can't lose your cool. Ok?"

"I make no promises but I will try my best. As much as I don't want to find out about any secrets Kate might be hiding, if it provides evidence for the case, I will be grateful. Please, be discreet with what you find if you find anything. I don't want Kate to be seen in a negative light. Please don't make her out to be at fault."

"Castle, we would never do anything that would hurt her. She's family. We're family. We will try our best to keep any sensitive information under wraps."

"Ok Castle, you're going to sit here on the couch while we look around," Esposito instructed Castle to stay in one spot.

"Ryan, I'm going to start in the bedroom; you can take the office."

"Gotcha, holler if you find anything."

Ryan and Esposito made their way into their respective rooms taking with them a member of the CSU team.

Castle's heart was racing as he sat on the couch trying to control the urge to storm into his bedroom kicking out everyone that insisted it was vital to invade their privacy. Instead, he leaned forward resting his head in his hands. _Breathe, Rick, Breathe. They're only trying to help._

Castle was still sitting there practicing his breathing when he heard Esposito shout, "Yo Ryan, I got something."

His heart sank, unsure of whether to be fearful or joyous that something had been found. Instead, nervousness plagued him as he needed to know what had caught the detective's eyes. He got up and started to pace back and forth across the room debating the internal struggle. Throwing the detective's directions out the window, he walked over to his bedroom to see what indeed they found.

Esposito immediately noticed the new presence in the room. "Castle, bro, we told you to stay on the couch." He moved over slightly in an attempt to block the evidence he found.

"Espo, just tell me what you found. This is my HOME. Please."

Knowing that nothing was going to get Castle out of the room, Esposito moved aside to reveal a small box made for nothing larger than a pair of shoes that they had found hidden in the back of their closet. Instead of shoes inside as Castle thought there always were, there were papers, journals, notes organized perfectly just how Kate kept everything. He grabbed a journal and flipped through it. It was definitely Kate's handwriting. Glancing down at the rest of the papers, he confirmed that everything was written by Kate.

"What the hell is this?" Castle was shocked to see that Kate could have hid something from him, something in their own home.

"From what we can see, she was investigating something, off the books of course. She was smart though, left out names. She apparently didn't want anyone to connect her notes to anyone in particular, should they be found."

"So you can't tell what she was investigating?" Castle knew she had a habit of going off the books once in a while but she had promised things would be different now that they were starting a family. She promised she would not take those risks anymore.

"We will read through every word once we get back to the precinct. Hopefully we can come up with something. It must have been pretty important if she chose to keep it from all of us." Castle looked up at Esposito and could see some hesitation in his eyes; there was apprehension and a little anxiousness. He could tell there was something they weren't telling him.

"What?" Castle tried to prod them. "What else did you find?"

Esposito knew there was no way around telling him. He might as well get it over with but he knew he would not take it well. "Cameras, Castle. And your office was bugged. Who knows how long they've been here but this confirms that this was definitely a well thought out plan by someone with major resources."

"Oh my God! They've been in my house!" His body was fuming and the boys could hear the piecing anger in his voice. "They've been watching us?" Castle was wracked with disgust and utter betrayal at the thought of another person being privy to private moments he shared with Kate and the rest of his family. They were being watched by sick bastards as if they're lives were some sort of sitcom. _Alexis_. He wanted to vomit. His little girl's privacy was exploited as well. He swore to himself that he would strangle whoever was behind this all with his bare hands. It was one thing to mess with him, but a completely different story when it came to his daughter and his expectant wife. "Where?" He was seething and seconds from exploding. "Where were the cameras?"

Ryan jumped in with a confident yet calm voice in hopes of keeping Castle from completely losing it, "One camera in the bedroom facing the umm... bed and one in the office. There was also a bug found on the underside of your desk to record any conversations. We're guessing that there's more so we will have to check the main room and kitchen as well as the other bedrooms."

Esposito continued, "We will have tech look at them but most likely all the recordings are stored remotely in the main system that they're controlled from. If were lucky though, they might have had to be close by to maintain a signal for the cameras."

"Ok well how about we all go down to the precinct. We can look through this stuff together and you look like you use a break from seeing us tear through your loft. CSU can finish up here." Esposito looked from Ryan to Castle and all three looked to be in consensus about his suggestion.

"Fine, let's go but I'm going to try to get a hold of Alexis again. They still have no idea of what's been going on."

He walked out of his bedroom and back into the living to escape the chaotic mess that was now their bedroom.

Pressing the number for Alexis he prayed to God she would answer though he was still dreading how he was going to speak of what happened. How do you tell your daughter that you stood by as some bastards stole her step-mother and unborn baby sister?

"Hey, Dad!" Alexis answered with her usually upbeat joy. "What's up?"

Castle's heart was breaking as he knew he was about to break hers. Maybe he should have just left them to their vacation and waited to break the news upon their return? No. He knew they would want to know. The news would devastate them both but they would definitely want to know.

"Hey, Pumpkin. How are you and Grams doing?"

"Great! It's beautiful in Ireland this time of year even with all the rain."

He could hear how happy she sounded and it was starting to make him rethink the phone call. Still he decided to push through. "Alexis, I have to tell you something and it's going to be hard to hear. Is Grams with you?"

Alexis glanced outside to confirm where she was. "She's on the balcony talking extravagantly to herself. Wait, Dad, is this about that guy you sent to guard us yesterday?"

He instantly stopped breathing and he raised his head to make eye contact with Esposito and Ryan who were across the room. "Wait, wh…what guy? What do you mean there's someone guarding you? We never sent anyone!"

"Oh God, Dad" The joy and happiness in her voice was gone and now replaced with sudden, intense fear. "I thought you were just being extra protective. He knew Beckett's badge number so we believed him. Wait, what's going on? Why are you calling then?"

"It's Kate." Tears welled up in his eyes but he still continued. "She was taken yesterday when we were in the park."

"Taken? What do you mean taken? Oh my God and the baby! Dad what's going to happen to her and the baby?" She tried her best to keep her voice down as to not alert the guard that was most likely standing outside the front door.

"She's been kidnapped and we do not have any idea where she was taken too." He wiped the tears from his eyes and continued trying to be strong. "Listen, you have to get Grams and sneak away from that man. He is most likely involved in what happened to Kate so you need to get as far away as possible from him."

"But Dad, what if he knows where Kate is? What if he has useful information that could help us?"

"Don't you dare go near him. He is way too dangerous. They already have Kate and your baby sister. I do not need them to take you and Mother from me as well." His raised voice got the attention of Ryan and Esposito and they came over to find out what was going on.

"Wait, sister? It's a girl? You found out it's a girl without me?"

"Oh yeah, we just found out yesterday," his voice slowed, "a few hours before she was taken."

"Wow. I'm going to have a little sister. Oh Dad please find her. You have to find her so they both can come home safely." She pleaded with her father knowing he was certainly trying his best.

"Try not to worry about us. We need to get you and Mother away from harm and home safely. Is there any way you can leave unnoticed? The more time you get the better."

"Uh well the house we're at is pretty secluded but there are still neighbors nearby. We can get out the back door and try to get to get to one of their houses."

"Ok. Once you get there, tell them that you need to get to the airport right away though try not to sound too frantic. I will get you both on the earliest flight back. Once you're far enough from the house call the police with someone else's phone and tell them that there's a man breaking into your home. If we're lucky, they will arrive before he realizes you're gone. But don't call too soon. I don't want you to be nearby if the police show up. Got all that?" His heart was pounding. He could not handle having more of his loved ones in danger.

"Yeah, Dad." She sniffled into the phone and Castle knew she had to be crying.

"Good. Now make sure you both leave your phones. I don't want anyone able to follow you. Call me from a phone at the airport so I know you made it. I love you Alexis. Now go!"

She sniffled again and let out a soft sob. "I love you too Dad. I promise I will see you soon."

With that he hung up. Why was someone targeting his family? Why?

He turned around to see a confused Esposito and Ryan. "Someone showed up yesterday to watch over Alexis and my mother. He knew Beckett's badge number so they figured we sent him to protect them. I told her to get them both out of there now and get to the airport. When any luck, the dirt bag will still be there when she calls the police."

"Oh God, Castle, this is big. They knew exactly where you all would be at exactly the right time. They are more organized than we thought." Esposito was furious that danger had reached all the way to where Alexis and Martha were staying.

Castle yelled, practically scaring both Ryan and Esposito, "Damn bastards! They think they can fuck with my family. I will get them if it's the last thing I do. Nothing will stop me from getting my family back."

Nothing.

* * *

A/N: Review, review, review! I appreciate every single one.


	5. Chapter 5

Another night had passed; another day had been lived. Hardly, if you could call that living. Her eyes opened and she could sense that someone wasn't right. Not just that she was being held against her will in a strange place, but something new.

Turning over on her other side, she stared out into the darkness. The room was pitch black due to the lack of windows. But she could have sworn that she fell asleep with the light on. Did someone come in there during the night? Disturbing thoughts flooded her mind but she chose to push them aside as she made her way to the light switch to turn the light back on. For all she knew, it could still have been the middle of the night or even midday. There was no way of telling since she had no aid from seeing the outdoors.

Time was lost as the hours lengthened from her stay.

She flipped the switch and immediately the darkness was drowned by the piercing light. She blinked, adjusting to the light. Glancing around, she noticed a new plate of food complete with another pill. Beside them both was a note written on the next page in the notebook. It said, "I noticed you only ate the granola bar so enjoy another."

On the plate was indeed another granola bar and next to it was small package of pretzels. She was pleased to be given food that was packaged. But why? Why were they being nice to her? Her strength was already getting low and she couldn't waste it pondering such thoughts. She sat down and slowly ate the granola bar.

Halfway through, she was startled by noises outside her door. Voices could be heard but not understood. She immediately jumped up to put her ear against the door. Still, the voices were muffled but could have sworn she heard them say Castle's name.

Suddenly she heard the jangle of keys and started to back away from the door. Someone was about to open the door. Finally, she might get some answers to the many questions she had.

What stood before her as the door swung open was not what she expected. Not even close to what she expected. He was completely normal looking in every aspect. He was white with light brown hair. He wasn't extremely built. He wasn't covered in tattoos. His clothes were not special in anyway. Nothing about his screamed "criminal" or even "slightly criminal".

He looked right at her and she suddenly felt cold. His eyes showed right through to who he really was. They were fierce and cold. Suddenly the normalcy of his appearance made her feel all the more eerie. He obviously wasn't useful for his physical strength, so what was he used for?

"Glad to see you ate something," he spoke while glancing at the plate. "Come on, I've got a surprise for you." His voice was not harsh nor cruel. It was however cunning, and the slight grin on his sly little face only confirmed that. This man may not have looked like a criminal but he most definitely was one and that sent a chill down her spine.

"Yeah well, I don't like surprises." She lifted her legs and started to lay down on the bed.

"I don't give a shit about what you like. You are coming with me right now. Now get up before I drag you out of this room." He spat the words back at her while staring her down intensely with his cold blue eyes.

She rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh as she slowly rose from the bed, emphasizing the effects of her pregnancy. There was no point in trying to piss him off. He was doing her a favor by at least giving her a peek at what's beyond her room. It was time to collect intel and then maybe she could get the hell out of this place.

"Fine, let's get this over with." She took a step towards the door but was quickly halted.

"Hold up. Let's get these on first. We all know how, let's say, resourceful you can be." He had a pair of handcuffs in his hands. "Now turn around, and don't you dare try anything. You don't want anything to happen to that sweet baby of yours, do you?"

She again rolled her eyes but reluctantly turned around and held her wrists back. He was not the least bit gentle as he slapped them and tightened them until there was no more tighten.

"Great, so now that you successfully defused the threat of a pregnant woman going all psycho and violent on you, can you tell me where the hell we're going?"

"You know, I really don't like your attitude. I would tone it down some if I were you. You wouldn't want to piss off the wrong people." He grabbed her wrists with one hand and pressed a gun to her stomach with other. "Walk. Now."

He led her down a long hallway with too many closed doors to count. No windows were on any of the doors so she really couldn't decide what was behind any of them. For all she knew they could have others trapped with her also, including Castle. She continued gazing about looking in every direction possible. The building looked very industrial like it was an old factory or warehouse but she couldn't know for sure. So far, nothing looked like an exit. They turned down another hallway and this one immediately looked different. The smell was different, the look was different. Despite the cleanliness of the previous hallway, this one was filthy. It was like they were putting up a facade or something with how clean the other one appeared.

He led her passed more doors until finally they halted. Taking out his keys, he unlocked one of the doors. Leading her inside he grinned, "Here you go, enjoy."

A surprise? Definitely. But not what she was thinking by any means. "Uh... a shower?" That was a generous description. It was more like a tiny room that was covered in filth of all sorts with a rusty old shower head awkwardly sticking out in one corner of the room. It was all open with the corner containing the shower at a slightly lower floor level to keep the water somewhat contained. At least there was a small basket containing all the essentials for a shower as well.

There was a small bench on the opposite side of the room near the door that had a small tan towel folded on it. After he shut and locked the door, he took off her handcuffs and sat down on the bench. "Ok, sweetheart. Go for it."

She stared at him blankly like there was no way in hell she was about to take her clothes off in front of him. "Yeah, as appealing as this looks, I'm going to have to pass."

"It's just a shower, works as good as any other. I'm sure you're just aching to feel the hot water pouring over every inch of your body. Now hurry the fuck up."

"I'm sorry do you have someplace you're supposed to be? I can't imagine you're running late for a hot date or anything." She couldn't help but to give him attitude.

"Oh hell no. Hot detective taking a shower? Come on. This is the best place in the building to be right now and I definitely wouldn't miss it." He stood up from the bench and took a few steps towards her until she was up against the wall and he was pressed up against her. The tone in his voice deepened with irritation. "Now take your goddamn clothes off, before I take them off for you." He grabbed her waist and began playing with the hem of her shirt lifting it up with the muzzle of the gun.

"Back off, jackass. I can take my own damn clothes off." She defiantly pushed him back and began with her shoes and socks. She then grabbed the sweat stained tank top she was still wearing and pulled it off over her head. Even though she wasn't facing him, she could feel his eyes roaming her body. She hardly looked pregnant from the backside and he definitely was noticing. After stripping her leggings off she was standing there in just her sports bra and panties. Turning around, she walked over to the bench and laid her clothes on it. Unfortunately that meant standing within a foot of the lovely man also on the bench. "While you're doing me favors, feel free to launder my clothes as well. I sure worked up a sweat the other day so they could use some cleaning."

"Don't think I'm doing you any favors. This ain't a damn Laundromat."

"Well the least you could do is at least get me some clean clothes. I mean what's the point of taking a shower if you're just going to put the same dirty clothes back on when you're done?"

"Stop complaining and just shower already before I decide to assist you." He was leering at her every curve up and down and up and down. "Damn. Even pregnant, I would take you any day."

"Shut the hell up. I am not doing this for your enjoyment. I'm not the whore of a stripper you probably visit every night. I am a respected detective and for god's sake I'm pregnant."

"Take the rest off," he spoke sharply pointing to her bra and panties with his gun. "Don't want to be wearing wet panties all day do you? That would just be mean to put you through that." He smiled as he saw the disgust flashover her face.

"Yeah because that would just be the worst. You know what? Fuck you and your perverted self. You can go to hell." She was pissed enough to be standing there mostly naked and now she was soon to be fully nude. She quickly took her bra off as well as her panties and threw them at him. "You could care less about me, you just want to see me naked."

"True, but he cares. And since he cares, I have to. Nudity is just a perk."

God she wanted to punch him in his fucking mouth. Maybe give him two black eyes as well so it hurt to have them opened. "And who's he? Who's in charge here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Don't worry, you will get the honor of seeing him soon enough. But for now just clean yourself up...and feel free to take your time."

"You fucking pig!" She hissed as she turned the water on and was surprised that it actually warmed up. It soon became hot and the room quickly started to fill with steam. Honestly, she was glad to be feeling the water bounce off her skin. She felt exhausted but the water was immensely helping to bring her strength back.

Looking across she was pleased to find that she could no longer see the man through the steam, which therefore meant he couldn't see her either. If she was going to make a move it had to be now.

She tiptoed to the other corner of the room that was still opposite of where the man sat on the bench. Though, the man couldn't see her, she also couldn't see him which added a huge risk to the spontaneous attack. Any number of things would go wrong but it was a risk she had to take. Who knew when the next opportunity would arise, should one ever even arise again?

Slowly, she leaned against the wall as she walked a few steps in his direction. The hot water was still running so the steam was still thoroughly covering the room. Luckily the room was dim to begin with making visibility through the steam almost impossible. She stopped when she realized he must have been only a few feet away. This was it. This was her chance. God she wished she wasn't so naked and vulnerable. But she wouldn't let that stop her.

Before she changed her mind she jumped forward in the direction she knew he was sitting. He came into view and she immediately hooked her right arm around to nail him square in the jaw. Seeing that the gun was in his right hand, she kicked her left foot hard against his wrist causing the gun to fall to the floor. Visibility was still hazy, but she could see the gun. She tried to reach down and grab it but her large stomach slowed her down enough that the man was able to roughly push her down on the ground before she could reach it.

Her head smacked against the tile floor hard but not hard enough to stop her. She maneuvered her feet around his ankles to bring him to the floor beside her and flip herself on top of him. She didn't know where the gun was anymore so she opted to take a few hits to his face instead. One after another she pounded into him as he attempted to throw a few back. One hit her hard in the shoulder and another hit the left side of her face but she was not deterred.

She continued hitting him until he was no longer conscious. She reached into his pockets for his keys and then quickly glanced around for the gun. It was underneath the bench so she grabbed it as she contemplated for a millisecond whether to waste time putting her clothes on.

She hastily grabbed her panties and bra, putting them on with great difficulty, but not without speed. She grabbed her leggings, pointing her gun at the pervert on the floor and wrestled them on. She slipped on her running shoes and grabbed her shirt but didn't put it on. Finally she backed away to the door.

After unlocking the door, she opened it slowly trying her best not to make noise. Seeing that the hallway was clear, she began walking. From what she saw earlier, there didn't seem to be any exits from the way she came from where they were holding her so she chose to continue on into unknown territory. The end of the hall came and she was met with two possible directions, both looking identical. Again, time was of the essence so she didn't waste time pondering and just started walking down one.

Doors lined the hallway but she didn't want to alert anyone of her presence by making noise trying to open each one. So she chose the a few random ones to try but each were locked. Turning again down another hallway, she was delighted to see doors that finally looked as though they would lead somewhere.

She ran as quietly as she could down the hall and stopped once she reached the doors. She pushed and they easily opened into a large storage garage full with cars and machinery of sorts.

Voices behind her yelled and argued and she could distinctly make out that one belonged to the man she left unconscious. She ran through the garage trying to find a door that led outside. After passing a few cars she heard the door she came into the room with open and close with footsteps following.

Someone else was there.

Hiding behind a car, she scanned more of the room trying to develop some sort of plan. Finally she spotted a door that looked like it would lead somewhere, anywhere. She took a deep breath and counted to three before running like hell towards the door that hopefully led to freedom. She could hear someone yelling and shots were fired in her direction before she went through the door. The ricocheted bullets still sounded loudly as she refused to look back.

The door closed behind her and she let out the air that she had holding in.

Then. She saw it.

The fence.

Buzzing to life with electricity. It must have been at least 20 feet tall. Where the hell was she?

What kind of warehouse had this much security around it? Definitely not the usual warehouses she goes to when trying to work a case.

Beyond the fence were dense woods. Trees so thick you couldn't see through the darkness they produced even though it was daytime. Great, by the slight chance she got through the fence, she had a goddamn forest to trek through too.

She suddenly heard footsteps and was not quite quick enough as the needle stabbed through her neck. Her legs suddenly felt weak like they could no longer hold her and she collapsed into the strangers arms. The gun was still in her hand but the darkness was closing in. He began to drag her as she continued to fall into the paralysis. Her eyes wanted to be claimed by the darkness but she had one more thing to do before...before…

The gun slipped from her hands and a shot rang out.

Blood. She saw blood. Red. And then black.

Darkness.

Nothingness.


End file.
